New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) The government on Monday said that Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment and operation of a dedicated indigenous Testing Centre for conducting trials, performance evaluation and certification of Full Body Scanners (FBS) and other security screening equipment used at Indian airports.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said this a natural extension of the NDA government’s twin focus on security research and capacity building.

“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, strengthening security through focused research, innovation and capacity building has remained a core priority. It is primarily about building an Atmanirbhar Bharat, Atma-Surakshit Bharat,” the minister said.

The partnership creates a formal institutional framework for cooperation between BCAS and RRU in the areas of testing, certification, research, training and standards development relating to aviation security equipment.

It is aimed at strengthening India’s aviation security ecosystem through a credible, independent and scientifically rigorous mechanism for assessment and regulatory support.

Under the MoU, RRU, in collaboration with BCAS, will establish and maintain a dedicated Testing Centre for conducting trials of Full Body Scanners and other aviation security equipment in accordance with directives issued by BCAS.

The Centre will undertake independent evaluation, verification and certification of the specifications and performance of equipment supplied by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and submit impartial and scientifically robust assessment reports for regulatory consideration.

“I strongly believe that by combining the regulatory authority of BCAS with the technical prowess of RRU, we will build an indigenous ecosystem for security equipment certification, which will resonate with international practices such as those overseen by the TSA in the United States and ECAC in Europe,” said Naidu.

The MoU also provides for the establishment of state-of-the-art testing laboratories at RRU, aligned with global standards, to carry out rigorous performance, safety and interoperability assessments.

This will support the development of an institutionalised accreditation framework to ensure that only equipment meeting prescribed technical and operational benchmarks is considered for deployment in critical aviation security environments.

The MoU further envisages cooperation in academics, research, extension and training programmes for mutual benefit.

Samir Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation; Rajesh Nirwan, DG, BCAS and Dr. Bimal Patel, Vice Chancellor, Rashtriya Raksha University, were also present at the event.

—IANS

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